Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are So Hot! [BL]-Chapter 71: New Arrangements

"Pfft..." Theo, watching the whole scene, finally couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing.

"S-sorry! Excuse me!" Leonide, snapping out of his daze, quickly stammered, darting out of the room with a loud slam of the door. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

He must’ve been really flustered.

"Hahaha! Oh, Damien, what are you doing?" Theo was now laughing uncontrollably, something Damien had never seen before.

"I really messed up..." Damien muttered, cringing.

"Oh, Leonide’s face was priceless... Ah, that was hilarious. I never thought I’d see you do something like that!" Theo said, still catching his breath from laughing so hard.

"I just thought he was trying really hard and doing a good job, so I... kinda... you know..." Damien said, trying to explain. The way Leonide had gone from flustered to calm made him think of his younger brother, and before he knew it, he’d wanted to praise him like he used to.

Maybe it was because he’d spent so much time patting Theo’s head yesterday. It had become too much of a habit.

"Is it bad, though? You think he’s upset?" Damien asked, concerned.

"No, don’t worry. If he were upset enough to hold a grudge, he’d be in for some more training," Theo replied lightheartedly.

Still, Damien felt bad. He didn’t want to be the reason Leonide needed "re-education."

"Besides, from what I saw, he seemed more happy than upset. Leonide hasn’t been away from his parents for that long, so maybe it felt nostalgic for him," Theo added.

"Really? You think he didn’t mind?" Damien asked, a bit more hopeful now.

"Yeah, I wouldn’t worry about it. If anything, I’d be more concerned that it might make him homesick. Hopefully, he doesn’t start crying for his parents," Theo teased.

"Wait, Leonide’s that young?" Damien asked, surprised. He’d thought Leonide was younger but hadn’t realized just how much.

"Yes, he’s still quite young. I believe we took him in only last year, away from his family."

Wow, Damien thought, realizing Leonide was even younger than he’d initially assumed.

"Don’t stress about it, though. I’m sure Leonide will forget about this soon enough," Theo said reassuringly.

"Should I go apologize to him or something...?" Damien suggested, but Theo quickly shot down the idea.

"That’d be a terrible move. The way Damien handled things earlier wasn’t bad, but if one of my honored guests were to go apologize, it’d only create more confusion. Best for everyone if we just forget about it quickly," Theo advised.

"Got it... I’ll do my best to forget," Damien sighed. He felt a bit embarrassed but decided it was for the best.

"And to think Sebas’s well-trained staff could be rattled by something like that... What a rare sight," Theo added with a hint of amusement.

Damien made up his mind to forget about the incident, including Theo’s teasing remarks.

...

"So, Theo, what was that about earlier?" Damien asked, referring to Theo’s meaningful glance when they were about to have Leonide show them to the bath.

"Oh? Ah, sorry, it slipped my mind. I figured out what Sebas is planning, so I thought I’d explain it to you," Theo replied casually.

"Planning? You mean something to do with Leonide?"

"Well, that’s part of it. Sebas’s probably thinking that the five who helped with the experiment today will become your personal attendants," Theo explained.

"My personal attendants? No, no! That’s too much!" Damien immediately protested. The thought of having people assigned just to him felt excessive.

"I figured you’d say that. I don’t want to pressure you, but to be honest, it’s quite a loss for the family if Sebas gets tied up attending to you," Theo said with a wry smile.

Damien was taken aback. He hadn’t considered it from that perspective. Sebas was incredibly capable, always coming whenever Damien called for him. While Sebas was helping Damien, there were likely many other tasks that would be more important for him to complete.

Originally, it had been Lupusregina who was supposed to look after Damien, but after some complications, Sebas had taken over. Damien hadn’t really thought about it until now.

"I’m sorry... I didn’t even consider that," Damien said, feeling down about how inconsiderate he had been.

"Don’t look so glum. Sebas wanted to take care of you, and if you ask me, he’s been enjoying himself," Theo said, planting a kiss on Damien’s forehead to comfort him.

There was no trace of darkness around Theo. It was clear he meant every word sincerely.

"Alright, then I’ll have to properly thank him soon," Damien said, feeling determined to make it up to Sebas.

"Yes, I’m sure Sebas will appreciate that," Theo replied with a warm smile.

Damien resolved to thank and apologize to Sebas at some point in the future. He couldn’t keep dwelling on things.

"So, back to the topic... Those five are going to replace Sebas as my attendants?"

"Yes. They’re young, but they’re all competent. Aside from Leonide’s little slip-up earlier, they’re quite capable and should handle most of your daily needs without issue. For anything unusual, Sebas will step in. I think that’s the plan—to gradually shift more responsibilities to them, and eventually, Sebas will step away," Theo explained.

That made sense to Damien. The idea was to gradually reduce Sebas’s involvement, but something still felt off.

"Is something bothering you?" Theo asked, noticing Damien’s concern.

"Well, I just... I mean, Leonide is one thing, but isn’t it strange for noble children to be my attendants?"

Leonide was the son of a count, and there were two others—sons of a viscount and a baron. The idea of nobles acting as his personal attendants felt odd.

"Oh, that? In a marquis’ household, it’s not uncommon for the servants to include the children of nobles," Theo explained.

"Really? I had no idea."

"More than half of our household staff are from noble families. The rest are usually relatives of high-ranking merchants," Theo added, chuckling at Damien’s surprise.

"Wait, that many?"

"Yes. You see, for nobles, only the first few sons can inherit titles or lands. The others often become merchants, soldiers, or serve as attendants in prestigious households. It’s a practical way for them to make a living," Theo said.